ROANOKE, VA. – The Rail Yard Dawgs (6-5-1) overcame the Macon Mayhem (5-7-1) in a late comeback on Wednesday night, prevailing 3-2 at Berglund Center. Mac Jansen, Billy Roche, and Tommy Munichiello scored for Roanoke, and Austyn Roudebush stopped 33-of-35 shots faced in net for the Dawgs.
The Dawgs controlled the tempo and had plenty of chances in the opening 20 minutes, outshooting Macon 16-8 in the first period. Even with 24 combined shots on net, neither team could light the lamp in the first period. The game was scoreless at the first intermission.
As the second period rolled along, Roanoke continued to apply pressure in the middle frame. At one point, the shots on goal count was 17-8 in favor of the Dawgs. Roanoke’s first power play chance just past the halfway mark nearly led to a goal, but a wild goal-line clearance kept the game scoreless thanks to the efforts of Macon goaltender Dysen Skinner. After that penalty kill, Macon had four of the period’s final five shots on goal, and Parker Allison’s rip from the blue line pushed the visitors in front at 16:57. The Mayhem led by one heading to the final frame, and a late Roanoke tripping penalty by Munichiello had Macon on the man-advantage.
The third period started with Macon applying a lot of pressure, but Roudebush stood tall to keep Roanoke in the game. Finally, after 50 minutes, the Dawgs finally broke down Skinner. An offensive zone faceoff win allowed Nick Ford to center the puck from the right-wing wall to the left-wing, and Jansen’s one-timer tied the game at the 10:29 mark. Another feed by Ford to Jansen on their next shift led to a breakaway chance for the Roanoke winger, and Skinner denied Jansen initially. Roche came crashing in on the loose puck and blasted the shot home to make it 2-1 at 12:17. The Dawgs would have a successful late penalty kill and an empty-net goal by Munichiello after a great defensive play by Jacob Kelly at 19:01, but the Mayhem would make it a 3-2 game on a goal by Brad Jenion on a deflected pass that left him wide-open at the bottom of the left-wing circle in the final 26 seconds. The Dawgs prevailed in the closing moments to knock off the Mayhem, and Roanoke still hasn’t lost a game at Berglund Center to Macon since February 8, 2020.
Skinner saved 45-of-47 shots faced in net for Macon. Macon went 0-for-2 on the power play, while Roanoke went 0-for-1 on its chances.
The Rail Yard Dawgs will stay home on Friday, November 29 against the Fayetteville Marksmen at Berglund Center. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 P.M. EST in Roanoke. Single game tickets for the season are on sale now online and at Berglund Center box office.